Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1887-03-24
QUARTERLY REVIEW.
Or. CuRTISS, NOTES ON THE SUM-
DAY SCHOOL LESSON.

DAY SCHOOI LESSON.
Lesson XIII of the International Series
for Sunday, March e7-GOIden Text.
Acts vii, S2-ReyIew of the asst Twelve
Lessons.
SUGGESTIONS FOR REVIEW.
Design of the Bible-The Object of the
Bible is not to satisfy our curiosity in science
or history. Its end is to impart religious teach
ing in a way that plain people in all ages may
understand The Old Testament was first
written for Gods chosen people, Israel, who
were to be the people of redemption. 1t is,
therefore, not the design of the first two
chapters of Genesis to afford scientific knowl-
edge, but to teach men of every age that God
created all things. God is represented as
creating the world in his week, but we have
no more need to suppose that it was made up
of six days of twenty-four hours than to
think that God is like one of ourselves.
Creation of Mantle last work which
God created was man. He was the crown Of
thecreation, the king Of the earth, which God
had made as his kingdom. In all the other
acts Of creation God simply commanded and
it came into being; but he indicated the in
finite superiority of man above the brutes by
saying, Let us make man in our image, after
our likeness. Mans superiority over the ami
mails consists, then, in the special interest
which God manifests in his creation as well
as in fact that he creates him in his image.
By the image and likeness of God we under
stand that perfect ideal form which is fitted
to express divine person and in which Jesus
appeared on the Mount of TRANSPORTATION
The Temptation and Fall-God saw all that
he had made-the earth and its king-and
behold it was very good. Satan, mighty
fallen spirit, saw it, and took on as fitting
mode of representation the form of serpent.
He raised doubts in the mind of the first
woman as to Gods goodness and truth, and
filed her with desire for knowledge like
that of God. The woman, allured by the
beauty of the fruit, and desiring to enjoy the
promised wisdom, fearlessly partook of the
forbidden fruit, and gave to her husband and
he ate. Instead Of becoming like God in
knowledge, she and her husband were filed
with shame, until at last they were banished
from Eden. In believing Satan and disbe-
ieving God they fell into sin and misery.
The Fruit of Sin-Their sin bore fruit in
the subsequent history of the world Eve,
who had known the mothers joy in the birth
of firstborn, was destined to see him mur-
derer. Cain and Abel feeling the need of the
Divine favor, brought their offerings to God
Gains was rejected, while Abers was accept
ed. Gains anger burned against his brother
Abel. Like a wild beast it gained possession
of his heart From that moment he was a
murderer, even before the fatal blow fell
After he has slain his brother, God calls him
to an account for his crime, and when be re-
fuses to confess, tells him that his brothers
blood cries from the ground. Cain is ban
ished from God and the paternal home, and is
doomed to wander fugitive and vaga-
bond.
The Earth Swept by the Deluge-At last
he settles down and builds city. His de-
scendants become famous, the men as artists
and artisans, the women for their beauty and
grace At the same time there is another
people, the descendants of pious Seth, who
are distinguished for their worship of God
But the Sethites, charmed by the beautiful
Cainite women, form marriage alliances with
them. Piety dies out of the world, excepting
Noahs family, and the earth becomes cor
rupt and full of violence; hence God deter
mines to sweep off this wicked race by the
waters of the food. He commands Noah to
prepare an ark to save himself, as well as the
animals and fowls living in that region of the
inhabited globe. The flood comes, the guilty
race are swept from the earth, and human
history begins again with the family Of
Noah.
Abraham Taught of God-Sin is still in
the world. 1t is manifest in human pride
Men build them tower that their name may
not be lost, but God scatters them Various
nations are formed The light of Gods truth
seems to be about extinguished; but God calls
Abraham from his home in Ur of the Chal-
dees and tells him to go to land that he
Ill koIIl of H.
afterwards to Canaan. But, so far as we
know, he did not derive the true religion
from either of these places In the first two
the moon god was worshiped, and Canaan
was the seat Of gross idolatry. So far as
Abram knew the true religion, he was taught
of God.
Lots Bad Choice-While other relatives
came with him to Haran, only Lot attended
him to Canaan. Abraham had perhaps q
thousand servants all told after he had Wis
tied Egypt, at least in later times. His pos
sessions and those of his nephew were so large
that they were not able to dwell together on
account of the quarrels of their herGmen.
Abraham therefore gave Lot his choice.
With greediness that was disgraceful he
chose the fairest territory within his range of
vision. This proved, however, to be a most
unfortunate choice, as all choices are likely
to be that are made for the sake of gain; for
he was thrown among the worst people of
Canaan.
The Covenant-But God did not forsaks
Abram. Lot did not get the advantage after
all, for God promised the land of Canaan to
Abram as well as numerous posterity, and
entered into solemn covenant with him. At
the same time he showed him that the prom
ises that he had made were not to be enjoyed
until his descendants had passed through the
valley of humiliation. They were to be
trained in the school Of afiiction in Egypt
before they were to receive their. possession in
the Promised Land. This interview of God
with his servant was memorable Abram
believed on Jehovah, and he counted it to
him as Righteousness.
Abraham's Prayer for Sodom-The folly Of
Lots choice and the generosity of Abraham
were soon set forth in a strong light. While
Lot was living in SodOm the place was at
tackled by five allied kings. Atthis time, had
it not been for the self-sacrifce of his uncle,
Lot would have lost his family and all his
worldly goods; but Abraham by a timely
attack rescued them from the enemy. God,
however, had determined that Sodom should
be destroyed. The three angels who an
nounced the birth of Isaac to Abraham and
Sarah foretold the destruction of Sodom The
patriarch prayed with the utmost urgency
that it might be saved for the sake of his
nephew. He thought that there were at least
ten righteous persons in the place, and there
fore begged that God would not destroy the
righteous with the wicked.
The Judge of All the Earth Does Right
The result, however, proved that he was
greatly mistaken. Two of the angels who had